“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” ~ Serenity Prayer.
Self-management means taking responsibility for our emotions. We all have emotions, and you will notice that our emotional state directly affects our daily lives.
The ordinary man, with no clear understanding of cause and effect, is governed by his feelings and emotions. When we take responsibility for our emotions, it gives us an edge and a tool to push us further in our daily lives.
Self-management is one of the key pillars for personal development and self-improvement.
Without knowing how to manage your life and having the discipline to do so, you can achieve very few meaningful things. You will simply be existing.
Self-control
Self-control is the ability to resist knee-jerk reactions to your emotions. Without self-control, you cannot achieve your intended purpose.
Our bodies naturally make certain emotional demands. You control them. This ability to refrain is what is called self-control.
Human beings have developed certain habits that must be done regularly. The body becomes accustomed to what it is trained to do.
To possess vitality, thought must be impregnated with love. Love is a product of emotions. Therefore, intellect and reason must control and guide emotions.
One of the best ways to help improve your self-control is not to react on impulse when faced with challenging situations. Stop and think before you act.
I learned during my Junior High School days to think before acting. This is because in the workshop, we had a big poster as you entered, depicting a man with bandages all over his body with a big label below saying “THINK BEFORE YOU ACT.” The reasoning is simple. The workshop is a dangerous place; you may injure yourself if you do not take precautions.
Anger is a strong emotion, but you can control and tame it. Everything you can learn can be unlearned, including emotions.
Another way to enhance your self-control is to reflect on why you feel out of control in the first place. Researchers have shown that most major emotional reactions come from two main emotions: desire and fear.
If you can learn to manage your desires and handle fear, you will have a better chance of improving self-management.
Trustworthiness
Without trust, you cannot function or succeed later on. If you are in business, you know that to succeed, you need your customers to trust you.
The best way to think of trustworthiness is to align it with integrity. The more trustworthy you are, the more integrity you have. If you value your job, you will definitely do more to achieve higher productivity and give the best results possible.
Trustworthiness is paramount, especially to those of us in the service industry. But ultimately, we as human beings must strive to be as trustworthy as possible.
Imagine living in a society where each and every one of us is trustworthy? Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
Well, change starts with you and spreads to the next person and the next; before you know it, everyone is affected. Imagine you go to see a doctor when you are ill and are told that your doctor is not trustworthy.
How would that make you feel? What would be your reaction? If you are a medical practitioner, you can help change that perception by being trustworthy.
Live Conscientiously
When you are conscientious, you control and are responsible for your emotions. This, in turn, means you take responsibility for your activities.
The biggest advantage of being conscientious is that you have full control over your actions and what you say. You will not have regrets such as:-
- They made me do it……
- I was upset…..
- I was irritated.….
In other words, you will not have to place responsibility on other people. You will take full responsibility for your emotions and actions.
Embracing ownership of your emotions empowers you to discover new possibilities. You are not just a passive participant in your life; you hold the reins. This control allows you to make intentional choices about your words and actions, setting the stage for your own success and fulfilment.
Adaptability
Adaptability may be one of the key principles of self-management. This is a skill we’ve all used, either effectively or negatively, at some point in our lives.
Being adaptable can be a distinguishing factor in a work or business environment. Things change every time, and with every change comes different and sometimes new methods of doing things. The biggest question is: how adaptable are you?
I have come to understand that, as human beings, most of us resist change. But instead of resisting change, learn to embrace and adapt to it.
Sometimes it may require leaving your current employment or changing the way you do business altogether. Whatever the situation, you must do everything you can to adapt to the change.
Every change brings opportunities. Look for them as you navigate through the change.
I know change, especially in workplaces or relationships, brings different emotions. It is important to learn to manage change.
Achievement Orientation
Self-management requires that you are goal-oriented. Besides, how can you manage yourself effectively without setting goals or targets?
When you manage yourself successfully, you can choose the actions and behaviours that help drive your personal or team’s goal achievements. To help enhance the skill of achievement orientation, try doing the following:-
- Determine what is important and prioritise accordingly
- Delay gratification when necessary
- Don’t let your pride get in the way of your actions
- Admit it when you have a problem and ask for help when needed
- Take great care of yourself
The highlight of achievement orientation is setting your personal intended purpose. This driving purpose fuels your achievement orientation and self-management.
Without a personal intended purpose, you are living an aimless life, and that is not what God created you for.
Conclusion
I believe that self-management is a very wide topic. It is also very cardinal and important to achieve the highest standard possible in self-management.
The more self-control you have, the better your chances of being a better and more successful leader.
If followed, these principles can greatly improve your self-management skills and enhance your overall quality of life and character.
I would like to end by encouraging you to take the first step towards self-management and help change the world.